Umbriel's Midsummer Day

It's Midsummer Day (Juhannus) today. But as Midsummer celebration usually means that everybody gets drunk, it is not safe for little dolls to participate in the festivities. But Umbriel visited the forest where there were only very few people (they were still recuperating from partying all night).

The little scientist is examining stonecrop.

Umbriel: These grow on almost bare rock. Only a little crack is needed for them to gain hold.

There were more interesting things to examine on the shore.

Umbriel: Dandelions also seem to grow everywhere.


Umbriel: I can see rocks on the bottom of the lake, but I can't see any fishes.


Umbriel: The lake seems to go very far. If I write a letter and put it in a bottle and throw it into the lake, will it reach my friends in America?

Outsider: No, the bottle would be caught by the hydroelectric power plant dam.


Umbriel: I guess I'll have to just send email then...


Umbriel: Look, there are even ferns growing in the cracks of the rock because here the rock drops steeply and this is a shadowy place.


Umbriel: It is safer to examine these than the prickly pear cactus. These don't have pricks or thorns.

Trolls in the forest

As Niks and Naks have threatened with all kinds of mischief like chewing holes in all my socks or pulling tapes out of my audio casettes and other like activities if I don't take them out, I had to take them into the forest again. This time I managed to keep them out of the swamp, though.


Niks: There is a nice cave under this fallen tree stump.

Naks: Yes, we could use this as our summer cottage.


Niks: Look, light at the end of the tunnel!

Naks: I'm looking for ants.

Niks: Are you hungry again?

Naks: If we move here we must be sure we find enough delicious treats nearby.

Niks: I don't see any ants.

Naks: Me neither. Lets move on.


Niks: nice ferns in this area.

Naks: Do you see any ants?


Niks: There is an ant!

Naks: What a small one. The one in Albuquerque Bio Park was much bigger.

Niks: Everything's bigger in America.


Niks: Look! Now we found a real troll castle!

Naks: This is really splendid. Look at all the woodwork


Niks: The architecture of the main entrance is exquisite!

Naks: Look at the rocky walls covered with moss. The interior decorator really knew how to add the finishing touches!


Niks: And this place has good rock foundation

Naks: And such nice sprinkling of spruce needles and cone scales and dry twigs on the floor.

Niks: I wonder where we can find the real estate agent that rents or sells this place...

Naks: We'll have to see if we can find that out.

Back home we found that the strawberry is still growing in the sandbox.

Niks: Look! There are three small berries. Let's eat them.

Naks: They look raw to me...

Niks: I guess you are right... I wonder if raw strawberries taste good with mustard?

Caliban in the forest

Because of the move, Caliban missed searching for spring. The last time he was out there was still snow on the ground, so today it was Caliban's turn to go out. It is summer already and everything is green.

Caliban climbed a mountain ash...


... and a fallen tree trunk.


The light under the trees is green.


Caliban found a cobweb...


... and a troll lair.

- I think Niks and Naks would love to live here.


- Either trolls and goblins or the ice age dragged these boulders here.



Sooner or later everybody over here visits a lake.



- The lake is so big and blue

Marsh marigolds.

- Umbriel told these are called "frog's flowers". Sir Isaac Newton the Newt would probably love these. He is almost a frog...